Buster complains that Lucille makes him stand on the balcony when she changes, but that at “bath time, anything goes”

Buster names the mission to save George Michael from Lucille, “Operation Hot Mother”

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Missing Hand: Buster is haunted by reminders of the hand incident everywhere

The hand chair in his room

The stuffed seal from Army

Buster covers the “Al” on “Alarm off” on his alarm clock so that it reads “ARM OFF”

The Yellow Bow-tied Seal gets its flipper bitten off by a shark

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Zip Me Up:

Lucille demands Buster zip her up; he scratches her terribly

Buster explains to Michael that while Lucille gets dressed, George Michael will have to wait on the balcony until “Zip-Up”

Buster, intending to use his Army training and zip-line down to save George Michael, threatens that either Buster “zips down, or George Michael zips up, and it is a mighty long zipper on Mother’s Cher jumpsuit”

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Buster’s a Danger to Himself and Others:

Lucille shows Michael the scratches on her back from where Buster zipped her up

Buster flips over the checkers board with his hook; wants to play “Rock Paper Scissors” with George Michael, who demurs

When Buster offers his nephew a bowl of soup, George Michael asks if “it” can open a can. They both exclaim, “OH GOD!” when they realize what George Michael meant

George Michael calls Buster, “Knuckle Buster”

As Buster tells Lucille that not everyone is afraid of him, he swings his hook and George Michael flinches

Lindsay’s Nose: Lucille explains that Lindsay was never taken to a father daughter dance because, “it was before we did your nose”

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Is Tobias Gay?

Lindsay announces her marriage is a disaster and that “Tobias is back together with Carl”

When Tobias, sees “the raw power of George Sr.” he begins licks George Sr.’s hand

George Sr. agrees Tobias can portray him, but he has to pay him “like a man, not some mincing little Polly or Nellie”

Dave Attell is shocked to learn Tobias is straight and asks why he’s wearing the cutoffs

Dave Attell notes that if Tobias is straight, then he is sober

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Tobias’s Vanity License Plates:

INM8 2

BLUMN

CONMAN2

DR HOUSE (yes you’re following)

Aztec Tomb: George Sr. hides from George Michael and Maeby in the Aztec Tomb

Egg Ann: George Sr. tells Michael that it’s risky to let George Michael “go on that church thing,” and Michael responds “Her name’s Ann, Dad, and he’s not ‘going’ on her.”

Sexual Puns and Malapropisms: George Sr. tells Michael that it’s risky to let George Michael “go on that church thing,” and Michael responds “Her name’s Ann, Dad, and he’s not ‘going’ on her.”

Pumps: Michael has removed all the pumps from the attic, including the air mattress pump and breast pump, in response to his father’s behavior in “Sad Sack”

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Religion:

Ann’s church group is going to Promise Land for a camping trip; make “promises” to each other. Michael forbids George Michael from going

Maeby decides to become a Christian to avoid going to school

Maeby asks where to can get one of those “necklaces with the T on it.” Michael corrects her that it’s a “cross,” and she asks, “across from where?”

Family First:

Trying to discourage George Michael from going on the church camping trip, Michael suggests his son visit a depressed Buster, because “family first”

George Michael explains to Lucille he wanted to go to on the Promised Land, but his dad didn’t want him to, because “family first”

Product Placement:

Carl Weathers explains that he’s trying to get them to underwrite “Scandalmakers” by setting a scene at Burger King

“As long as you don’t draw attention to it,” replies Tobias, when they cut back from the second exterior shot of Burger King

Before the scene ends, Carl notes that you can get free refills, and Tobias declares, “It’s a wonderful restaurant,” as a poster for a Burger King sandwich is framed over his shoulder. “It sure is,” adds the narrator

At the harbor, Barry leaves by announcing he’s “off to Burger King”

Buster, Michael and George Michael are all drinking from Burger King cups at the end of the episode

“Scandalmakers”: The first mention of reality show Carl Weathers is directing about the Bluth Family

Ice: Carl Weathers plans on playing Ice the bounty hunter in “Scandalmakers”

I [bleeped]: Gob identifies himself as the one in the picture, proudly adding, “I [bleeped] my wife”

Future References:

Operations Hot Mother: The operation is turned into a script that Maeby considers in “Meet the Veals”

Nellie: One of the dolls is named “Nellie” and George Sr. warns Tobias against portraying him as a Nellie. It is later revealed that “Nellie” is the name Sitwell had picked out for Lindsay

Hidden Jokes:

Jumping the Shark: Barry jumps over the shark, referencing an infamous Happy Days episode in which Fonzie jumped over a shark on skis, and gave us the phrase that refers to the moment when a TV series ceases being good

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Motherboy, the band:

Motherboy’s members look familiar …

The Narrator explains that he is legally obligated to make a distinction between Motherboy the event and Motherboy the band, parodying the lawsuit the band Arrested Development brought against the series

Mrs. Featherbottom tells Maeby that wherever her father is right now, “she loves you very, very much”

“Let me finish”: Gob, explaining his concept for his magic trick video, tells his siblings that it will be called, “Tricks — let me finish — Around the Office.” It’s similar to how he said, “Macaroni — let me finish — salad” to Kitty in “Let ‘Em Eat Cake”

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George Michael’s Star Wars Video:

Based on the viral internet video “Star Wars Kid,” George Michael videotaped himself practicing light saber moves over his grandparents’ anniversary tape

Gob accidentally includes the footage in George Michael’s campaign video

Star Wars: George Michael is obsessed with Star Wars; Lucille sent Annyong to “go see a Star War” in “¡Amigos!”

Iraq & Saddam Hussein: While watching the anniversary party video, Michael asks if someone in the video is Qusay Hussein

Self-Esteem: Michael worries about George Michael’s self-esteem throughout the episode, and decides that the thing to improve it is to encourage George Michael to run for Student Body President; the campaign subsequently ruins George Michael’s self-esteem. However, George Michael tells Ann that she makes him feel really good about himself when she compliments his light saber moves

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Sexual Puns & Malapropisms:

Michael eavesdrops on George Michael’s conversation with Ann about the election: Ann: ” I want you to do it.” George Michael: “I don’t think I’m ready.” Ann: “Of course you are!” George Michael: “I’m going to lose it before I start!”

Lindsay asks Lupe if she can come over to the model home and “Dustbuster.” Lupe, horrified, responds that she “No does Buster anymore!”

Mrs. Featherbottom sings a song that includes the line, “When you put a squirt of frosting down your throat …”

Lucille catches Buster in bed with the Roomba, and he says “what do you expect, I’m half machine!”

Gob’s Terrible Magic:

Gob changes the time on the clock

Dead Dove: Gob tears open a lunch bag, only to find the dove inside dead

Gob cuts the security guard’s tie in half (which makes the security guard inclined to throw Gob out of the office)

Firing People:

Michael and Gob attempt to fire each other

Lucille, finding Lupe in bed with Buster, fires the maid, only to have Buster yell that she can’t fire him, he’s her son, and he fires her

Gob Can’t Operate a Phone: Gob tries to call security to throw Michael out of the building, can’t operate the phone

Marry Me: When Michael asks Maeby why she isn’t at school, she deflects with a “Marry me!”

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Incest & Inappropriate Relationships:

After yelling “Marry me!” at Michael, Maeby apologizes, explains she forgot who she was talking to

Lindsay and Tobias are the “girls” who like George Michael “just fine” in his campaign video

Hole in Buster’s Heart: Buster, putting a model heart together, struggles to put the aorta in

Campaign Signs:

Maeby’s signs for Steve Holt: VOLT FOR STEVE HOLT

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Ann’s sign for George Michael: VIRGIN: Voting in Righteous George- Michael is noble

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Religious conversion:

Between the religious tract he finds in the trash and the cross-shaped cut on his head George Sr. decides to convert to Christianity

Steve Holt’s campaign video says he wondered who his father is, but that the found a new father (cut to cross), shows footprints in the sand, explains that it’s his second take — kinda like a second chance at making good

Misquoting the Bible: George Sr. tells Michel he and Gob are like those biblical brothers, “Gallant and Goofuth”

“The mere fact”: When Michael offers Gob his job back at Bluth Company, Gob replies, “The mere fact you say you think you can (rehire Gob) says to me that I shouldn’t let you,” mirroring Michael’s comment to George Michael that “the mere fact you call making love ‘Pop-pop’ tells me you’re not ready,” in “Good Grief”

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I’m a monster!: After his mother catches him with the Roomba, Buster responds, “What do expect, I’m half machine!” before screaming out, “I’m a monster!”

Casual Racism:

Lucille assures Buster he can get strength from someplace other than “an immigrant in Mother’s old stirrup pants”

“The Indian Kid”‘s election video is met with Gob crying out, “Go home, you terrorist, you’re not wanted here!” And, “sure you didn’t make that video in a cave?”

STEVE HOLT! Jumps up and Steve Holts! when he hears his name

“I’ve Made a Huge Mistake”: Gob, upon watching Steve Holt’s campaign video, tells Michael and George Michael they need to pull George Michael’s video, because he’s “made a huge mistake”

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Winking: Both Michael and Gob are winking (awkwardly) in George Michael’s campaign video

“The Final Countdown”: When the detective gives Steve Holt the picture of his father — Gob — the song plays in the background

Future References:

Gob’s a father:

Gob notes that Ann is religious, and if “it” gets pregnant, “it” stays pregnant. “Believe me, I dated a chick like that in high school,” he explains. Before quickly adding, “No, I didn’t.”

Michael describes STEVE HOLT! as a “young Gob” to Gob

When Steve Holt does his trademark STEVE HOLT!, he cuts off the “St-” and Gob comments that Steve Holt “looks like a chick [he] did once in high school.” Steve Holt’s mother is Eve Holt

Gob’s narration on George Michael’s tape calls Steve Holt, “a bastard, he doesn’t even know who his real father is…”

Hidden Jokes:

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Poof Magazine: Tobias is reading it in bed when Lindsay attempts to seduce him

Anniversary Party: When they begin watching the anniversary video, George Sr. notes that the party “didn’t cost us a thing,” but when the George Michael Star Wars clip appears, George Sr. complains he “spent 2.1 million of good company money and end up with this?”

“Hot Cops”: The music playing during Buster’s Chicago video is the “Hot Cops” song

2000 Election: The Student Body President election is a parallel to the 2000 election and Bush v. Gore

Michael explains that he lost student body president, but that it was a close call, so much so, some wanted to over turn the election, but he told them not to for the sake of the school

After Steve Holt’s campaign video, Michael notes that they underestimated the religious vote

The third-party candidate, “The Indian Kid”‘s name is Rav Nadir = Ralph Nader

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Mr. Bananagrabber: Gob filled George Michael’s campaign video with subliminal images including a pentagram, the devil and Mr. Bananagrabber

Synopsis: Gob and Buster team up for a magic act and impress Tony Wonder; Michael suffers from a mystery ailment and has to relinquish some control over the business; Lindsay teaches George Michael how to drive the stair car

What to watch for:

Callbacks and Recurring Jokes:

Gobias Industries: Tobias includes Gobias Industries on his resume when seeking a job at the Bluth Company

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Is Tobias Gay?:

Tobias offers to take off his “assistant skirt” and put on his “Barbara Streisand in The Prince of Tides ass-masking therapist pantsuit” to help Michael work out his control issues

Tobias notes that it could be Michael’s colon that is bothering him, and he’d “want to get in there and find some answers”

Tobias tells the Bluth employees that he saw “a sliver of Michael buttocks” and that “they are as fresh and firm as a Georgia peach”

Casual Racism: Gob tells the Chinese herb salesman that he wants “a tea to give [his] dingle less tingle,” before adding, “me quick, want slow,” and correcting himself, “wait, that’s Indian” (Dr. Literal later tells Michael that they gave him something to make his dingle not tingle)

Gob’s Terrible Magic: Gob squirts lighter fluid all over the Chinese herb store owner, and adds, “Yeah, but where’d the lighter fluid come from?” as he did with Sally Sitwell

Magician’s Alliance: Gob complains that he can’t perform at the Gothic Castle having been banned from the Alliance, is forced to hide his identity and use Buster as the lead magician to perform

Head Banging: To avoid banging his head on the rafters in the attic, George Sr. wraps his head in a towel, making him look like he’s wearing a turban

Osama Bin Laden: George Sr.’s videos, while wearing fatigues and a towel wrapper around his head, are similar to Bin Laden’s videotaped messages he would release to his followers

Moles: George Sr. tries to use Tobias as his mole in the Bluth Company

“Booyah”:

George Sr. says this when giving Tobias his videotape

John Beard uses the expression when announcing that the F.B.I. had the videotape of George Sr.

Hop-On:

While teaching George Michael how to drive the stair car, one of the points he wants to go over is how to avoid hop-ons

Lucille informs Michael that George Michael had his first hop-on

Michael complains that he was going to videotape that hop-on

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Dr. Literal: Announces that he’s “sorry to say this, but it’s too late to do anything” for Michael. Michael urges them to wait, and Dr. Literal elaborates it’s because “Dr. Stein has already been assigned” to Michael’s case

Plays when the as the Bluth Company employees celebrate moving to another floor

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Buster & Gob’s Magic Dance: Buster and Gob perform a dance similar to the one they performed in “Good Grief” at the Gothic Castle

Trick vs. Illusion: Buster introduces their next “magic trick.” When Gob corrects him that it’s an “illusion” Buster shrieks at his brother, “SILENCE, SLAVE!”

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Missing Hand:

Gob unintentionally chops off Buster’s mechanical hand with the sword

Buster unintentionally cuts off Gob’s fingers during the magic act (it should be noted that previously in “Hand to God”, Lucille had prayed that God take Gob’s hand in exchange for Buster not remembering that Oscar is his father)

Incest & Inappropriate Relationships: Tony Wonder kisses “Candida” on the chest, then explains to Gob and Buster that she’s his brother’s widow and it’s [bleeped] up

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FOX 6: John Beard announces that “the FBI has pinpointed the location of escaped convict George Bluth today, thanks to a tape turned in by a rabid and disgruntled employee. The FBI has matched the design of the attic to one of Saddam Hussein’s Iraq houses and it appears his son is with him. Booyah!”

Iraq and Saddam Hussein: The FBI thinks George Sr. is in Iraq based on the model home attic looking like the Saddam houses in Iraq

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Banners: The Bluth employees unfurl the Mission Accomplished banner when they move floors

Car Accidents: George Michael hits his father with the car

George Michael’s Star Wars Video: George Michael taping himself practicing his light saber moves is on George Sr.’s videotape — the F.B.I. believe it’s a terrorist training video

Hidden Jokes:

Reduced Order: Throughout the episode, Michael contends with a reduced order of houses from 22 to 18. This mirrors Fox reducing the order of Arrested Development episodes in the season from 22 to 18. Michael adds that they already had the blueprints drawn up, and the narrator adds, “well that part wasn’t true, but they would have,” referring to the stories for episodes 19-22.

Fake moustache: Having shaved off his actual moustache to play Mrs. Featherbottom, Tobias is wearing an obviously fake moustache throughout the episode

Working World Magazine: Maeby is reading Working World magazine, whose headlines include:

“How to work with a MOODY BOSS”

“Another Meeting? 10 ways to keep them from being a complete WASTE OF TIME”

“Will the Company Pay for Jury Duty?”

“Handling Interruptions”

Tony Wonder’s Article: “Born and Bread in the USA,” reads:

“Tony Wonder wows his audience as he emerges from a giant sandwich… with the flair and fanfare of Liberace…. Despite the oohs and ahs of the mean audience there was one disgruntled ex-magician who was seen doing some sort of chicken-type dance at fevered pitch. He was carted off by the police before this reporter was able to interview him but it is the view of the by-standers that it was some sort of protest regarding the use of chicken used by Tony Wonder’s staff.”

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Gob’s Computer: Gob’s computer has “GOB GOB” under the screen and a key to the left of the space bar reads “GOB”

Website Issues: The Family Guy pop-up ads that mar Tony Wonder’s site is a dig at the Arrested Development site that had similar design issues

Dr. Frank Stein: At the end of the episode, a nurse can be congratulating Dr. Stein, and referring to his first name, “Frank” making the doctor who did many unnecessary and experimental surgeries on the Bluth brothers, Dr. Frank Stein